How to configure self-hosted DNS for SFMC migration with multiple IPs and avoid conflicts?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Email marketer from SendGrid Blog advises monitoring key deliverability metrics like bounce rates, complaint rates, and blocklist status to identify and resolve issues impacting email delivery. Regular monitoring helps maintain a positive sending reputation.
Email marketer from EmailGeeks forum recommends warming up new IPs gradually to establish a sending reputation. Separating transactional and marketing emails onto distinct IPs helps maintain deliverability by isolating reputation issues.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog highlights common DNS configuration mistakes, like incorrect SPF syntax or missing DKIM records. Validating DNS records with online tools helps ensure accuracy and prevent authentication failures.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog suggests segmenting email lists based on engagement and sending relevant content to each segment. This approach improves engagement rates and prevents deliverability problems caused by sending to unengaged recipients.
Email marketer from Return Path (now Validity) recommends regularly cleaning email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses. Reducing bounce rates improves sender reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that DNS configurations require careful planning to manage SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records across multiple IPs. Monitoring email deliverability using tools like Google Postmaster Tools is crucial to identify and resolve any conflicts that may arise during the migration process.
Email marketer from StackExchange shares that when migrating to a new SFMC instance, keep the same IP address configured on both the old and new instances. When adding a second dedicated IP, Salesforce provides a DNS zone file, but it's crucial to avoid conflicts with existing setups, especially regarding overlapping private domains.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog emphasizes the importance of a correctly configured SPF record. Ensuring that the SPF record includes all sending sources and is properly formatted avoids deliverability problems caused by authentication failures.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that one additional DNS entry to add for mta2. Do not delete or replace any existing DNS.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that understanding different DNS record types, such as A, MX, CNAME, TXT (used for SPF and DKIM), is crucial for configuring DNS settings. Proper configuration of these records helps route email correctly and authenticate the sender's identity.
Expert from Word to the Wise recommends that it's important to monitor your sending reputation. Start by using feedback loops, spam trap hits, and blocklist status during and after the SFMC migration to ensure that any reputation issues are identified and resolved promptly.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that to avoid issues when setting up Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records, ensure that all authorized sending sources (IP addresses and domains) are included. SPF records should be carefully maintained and updated to reflect any changes in sending infrastructure, especially after a migration.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests giving SFMC AE feedback that support “declines to assist” is subpar.
What the documentation says6Technical articles
Documentation from Salesforce Help explains that SAP provides a collection of domains and IPs to authenticate email sends, improving deliverability by aligning 'From' addresses with sending infrastructure. It involves setting up dedicated domains for branding and authentication.
Documentation from Salesforce Help describes how to configure and manage multiple business units within SFMC, allowing for separation of brands and sending reputations. Each BU can have its own IP address and domain configurations, which requires careful planning to prevent conflicts.
Documentation from SparkPost advises a phased approach to IP warm-up. Gradually increasing sending volume allows mailbox providers to learn the sending patterns and recognize legitimate traffic, preventing deliverability issues.
Documentation from DMARC.org details how to configure DMARC policies to instruct receiving mail servers on how to handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks. Setting a strict DMARC policy can prevent domain spoofing and improve email security.
Documentation from RFC details the correct syntax and best practices for creating SPF records. Adhering to these standards ensures that SPF records are correctly interpreted by receiving mail servers, preventing deliverability issues.
Documentation from Salesforce Help outlines the necessary DNS records (SPF, DKIM, and Sender ID) required for proper email authentication in Email Studio. Correct configuration ensures emails are properly identified as originating from the authorized domain, preventing deliverability issues.